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Daniel Wilco | NCAA.com | December 26, 2018

How college football bowl games work

Here is how college football bowl games work, including how to quality, how teams can become eligible to compete and an explanation of the College Football Playoff system.

What is a bowl game?

Compared to other NCAA sports, FBS football has a relatively small playoff system. Only four teams compete for the national championship. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a postseason.

If a team is eligible for a bowl game (more on that later), it will earn the chance to play in a bowl game: A one-off matchup against a team of similar skill that it would not usually face in the regular season. The winners of bowl games receive trophies and bragging rights, but do not advance to any other games.

How to qualify for bowl eligibility

Here's the official rule from the NCAA:

"An eligible team is defined as one that has won a number of games against Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponents that is equal to or greater than the number of its overall losses (e.g., a record of 6-6, or better). Ties or forfeited games do not count in determining won-lost record."

There are a few exceptions. For example, a loss in your conference championship game does not count against your record.

If there are not enough teams that are eligible under those rules, the eligibility requirements change, but the minimum record for a team to become bowl eligible is set at 5-7. Teams with winning records always receive priority.

College Football Playoff

In 2014, a new championship system went into place. The College Football Playoff consists of a selection committee that ranks teams throughout the year. The top four teams compete in two semifinal games in late December or early January, with the winners advancing to the national championship a week later.

New Year’s Six and Semifinals

With the advent of the College Football Playoff system, the six biggest bowl games got a little bit bigger. Both CFP national semifinal games rotate among the New Year’s Six — six historic bowl games played on our around New Year’s Day.

Here’s the schedule for the next eight years:

Year

Semifinals bowls

National Championship location

2018-2019

Cotton Bowl, Orange Bowl

Bay Area

2019-2020

Peach Bowl, Fiesta Bowl

New Orleans

2020-2021

Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl

Miami

2021-2022

Cotton Bowl, Orange Bowl

Indianapolis

2022-2023

Peach Bowl, Fiesta Bowl

Los Angeles

2023-2024

Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl

Houston

2024-2025

Cotton Bowl, Orange Bowl

TBD

2025-2026

Peach Bowl, Fiesta Bowl

TBD

Daniel Wilco has worked at the AJC, Sports Illustrated, and SEC Country. His writing has also appeared on SI.com, Men’s Health, and The Cauldron.

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